The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-08-27
RELIGION AS AN EXPERIENCE.

["wherefore do We spend your money for
that which is not bread? And your labor for
that which sati5fieth notY'-Isaiah
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and will give you rest."-Jesus.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God. "-Jesus]
Religion presents itself to men under
four aspects: AS something to be gone
through with or performed; as some
thing to be believed; as something to
be studied, analysed, classified, dis
cussed or specialized about, and as
something to be experienced. In 9TH
or words, it presents itself as a Form
or Ceremonial; as Creed; as Science
or Philosophy, and as Life.
What are we to say Of these differing
conceptions of religion? Doubtless we
should say that all are legitimate; all
are useful; but no one taken alone is
complete-each needs the Others to
round it out to Wilderness. Especially
is it true of the first three that they
need the fourth. Experience or life is
the end toward which each of the others
ought to lead-the only result which
gives them adequate and full justifica-
tion for being.
A little looking at each will make this
clear. First, as to forms or ceremon-
ials. Doubtless these are good, if there
is something behind them-something
real which they represent-something
living which they are the forms of; just
as vessels are good if there is something
for them to hold; and just as bodies of
human beings are good if souls are
within to animate them. But as bodies
without souls are dead-only corpses;
and as vessels that hold nothing are
worthless, SO religious forms, and rites
and ceremonies, that do not stand to
those who engage in them for deep,
spiritual realities, are empty, hollow
mockeries of religion and not religion.
1t is only standing for, symbolizing,
typifying to the imagination, and, so,
stirring to life real soul experiences,
that makes religious forms and rites
and ceremonies valuable. When they
do that, as they often do, and as they
always ought to or else not be used,
then they are help to religion. Then
they may well be used; for they are
things of life and power.
It is equally true that religion as a
belief or creed must grow out of expe-
rience, and tend to keep alive expert
ence, or else it, too, as well as religion
of forms, becomes thing of emptiness
and death. Religion, as belief, is legit-
innate, useful, essential, but it must be
real belief-belief entertained for good
reason; belief understood; but, above
all, belief felt-belief that has not
stopped on the surface of mere lip con-
fession or intellectual assent, but that
has gone down into the SOULS expert
ence and life. Such belief, thus
transfused with hearts blood, is the
deepest thing in man. Religion at its
best is that.
So, too, religion as a philosophy,
religion as thing to be merely studied,
examined, reasoned about, analysed,
classified, discussed, is poor thing.
Not but that reason is good in every
thing, religion included. Not but that
study, analysis, classification, philos-
ophy are all good in religion. But
these alone, as well as creeds alone, or
forms alone, are mere semblances of
religion, and not religion. AS well say
that discussion about bread is bread, as
that discussion about religion is re-
ligion. AS well suppose that scientific
analysis of meat will feed the hungry
body, as that scientific analysis of, or
logical disquisition upon, religion, or
its problems, will feed the hungry
heart and spirit. The form, the cere-
mony, the rite, to be of any value must
be living not dead thing. The be-
lief or creed, unquestioningly accepted
from another, and lightly repeated on
the lip, must deepen; deepen into a
heart-faith, tried in the fire of adver-
sity, if it would render much service to
human beings. The philosophical and
scientific apprehension of religion-its
understanding by the intellect merely,
must give place to an experience of its
peace, its strength, its joy in the soul.
Then, but only then, religion completes
itself, attains its true end, rises to its
real power and glory, is able to fill the
great place it ought to fill in the life of
man.
Experience of religion 1 know
there is a prejudice in many minds
against the thought of religion as an
experience. To some, such experience
seems only superstition, or cant, or
pretense; to others, an empty dream of
the imagination. Persons with habits
of free thought, or who care much for
science and reason, are perhaps partic-
ularly liable to be among those who
look upon religious experience with
incredulity and disfavor. But why
should this be SOP Can any one give a
good reason?
No one denies the validity of expert